If Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, was a clairvoyant, he wouldn’t have worried so much when he was being reportedly persecuted by the government of Ibikunle Amosun . If he has known that he is like the Biblical Daniel who also overcome his challenges without raising a finger he wouldn’t have had sleepless nights then.
The Sagamu, Ogun State-born engineer had faced so many challenges when he left power in 2011. Today he is having a song of victory as well as dance of joy.
His successor who came under the umbrella of Action Congress of Nigeria, A.C.N, Amosun, had allegedly literally inflicted so much pain on him, as many of his property, including his multimillion Naira hotel in the state, were allegedly seized.
All this, it was gathered, had been a big shock to the two-term governor and it gave him serious headache.
Amosun had, a few months after he was sworn in, set up a truth commission to probe the activities of Daniel and his aides between 2003 and 2011.
Eventually, the committee made its recommendations and the Amosun government revoked the Certificates of Occupancy (Cs-of- O) granted to Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) and the Golf Resort Hotels in Abeokuta, the state capital. The recommendations were contained in the Ogun state of Nigeria Gazette No. 6 Volume 37.
The gazette stated that the government of Ogun was taking over the said properties in the public interest, “as there is allegation that state funds were used in the construction of the hotels.”
The government, however, maintained that “no money shall be paid as compensation to Daniel, GFF or Golf Resort Hotels Ltd until the said allegations are determined.”
Consequently, the hotel was taken over by security personnel, who barred the former governor from gaining access to his private property.
The hotel, which is located at Presidential Boulevard along Oke-Mosan, opposite the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, was said to have been erroneously constructed on an illegal land belonging to Golf Resort .
It will be recalled that both were once jolly good fellows who had teamed up to oust the then Governor Segun Osoba from power in 2003 election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The political partnership between Amosun and Daniel has worked out as both of them achieved their political desires.
While Daniel emerged the governor of the state in 2003, Amosun clinched the seat of the Ogun Central Senatorial district.
But, as they say in politics, “ There is no permanent friend or enemy but permanent interest.”
The “romance” ended due to some irreconcilable differences between them. It was learnt that , there was an agreement between the duo that Daniel would hand over to Amosun after his first term.
For some reasons, the arrangement changed dramatically; hence, the battle field was drawn.
But today, Daniel can’t be happier. How? Amosun is being made to face the flip side of power, having failed to impose his successor.
Following the emergence of Prince Dayo Abiodun, the hotel that had almost fallen into ruins and was already taken over by weeds, when the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun as the All Progressives Congress ,APC, has now been turned into an architectural masterpiece named Conference hotel.
It will be officially opened on Friday, December 6, by the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
